Tracheal intubation, or simply intubation, involves the placement of a flexible plastic tube into the windpipe, or trachea, of a patient to establish and maintain an open airway for aspiration, ventilation, and/or the administration of certain drugs. Intubation may also be utilized to prevent asphyxiation or obstruction of the patient's airway. A flexible plastic tube referred to as a tracheal tube may be inserted into the trachea through the nose (gastrotracheal) or mouth (orotracheal) of the patient. In orotracheal intubation, a tracheal tube, and more specifically an endotracheal tube (ETT), is passed through the mouth, between the vocal chords, and into the trachea of the patient.
Orotracheal intubation requires sufficient skill to avoid inserting the ETT into the esophagus connecting the throat to the stomach of the patient rather than the trachea connecting the throat to the lungs of the patient. The epiglottis is an upwardly extending flap of elastic cartilage tissue that is attached to the entrance of the larynx. During breathing, the epiglottis is open to permit ventilation, while during swallowing the epiglottis closes to prevent pulmonary aspiration and to direct ingested liquids and/or solids into the esophagus leading to the stomach. Although the epiglottis is generally open at the time of orotracheal intubation, care must still be exercised to insert the distal end of the ETT into the trachea instead of the esophagus. In particular, the distal end of the ETT must be guided past the tip of the epiglottis and into the trachea, taking care not to traumatically impact the corniculate cartilage and/or surrounding tissue in the process.
Orotracheal intubation may be facilitated by the use of a laryngoscope, a video laryngoscope, a flexible fiber optic bronchoscope, or the like, to identify the vocal chords and to pass the ETT between them and into the trachea of the patient rather than into the esophagus. Despite the availability of such insertion facilitating equipment, a relatively high degree of difficulty remains and an individual inserting an ETT must be suitably skilled and experienced to ensure that the distal end of the ETT is guided into the trachea. Furthermore, orotracheal intubation is oftentimes performed in a medical emergency by an emergency medical technician (EMT) and/or under circumstances in which specialized insertion facilitating equipment is not readily available. Improper insertion of an ETT can lead to pulmonary aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs of a patient, which can result in serious complications from chemical aspiration pneumonitis. More importantly, unintended and unrecognized insertion of the ETT into the esophagus of the patient can lead to potentially fatal anoxia.
In view of the foregoing, it is apparent that a need exists for an improved apparatus, device, system, assembly and/or method for facilitating the insertion of an ETT into the trachea of a patient. More specifically, a need exists for an insertion guide for an ETT. A further and more particular need exists for an insertion guide for performing an orotracheal intubation that reduces the difficulty and the degree of training required of an individual to insert an ETT into the trachea of a patient instead of into the esophagus of the patient. A still further need exists for an insertion guide for performing an orotracheal intubation in a medical emergency and/or under circumstances in which specialized insertion facilitating equipment is not available.
In response to the aforementioned disadvantages and needs, the present invention was conceived and has as an objective to provide an insertion guide for facilitating the insertion of an ETT into the trachea of a patient instead of into the esophagus of the patient.
The present invention has as a further objective to provide an insertion guide for an ETT that reduces the difficulty and the level of skill and experience required of an individual to perform an orotracheal intubation.
The present invention has as yet a further objective to provide an insertion guide for performing an orotracheal intubation in a medical emergency and/or under circumstances in which specialized insertion facilitating equipment is not available.
Other objectives and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to and appreciated by those skilled in the art as a more detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention is set forth below.